Watch Out for That Lawnmower

Looks like lawnmower accidents are up:

A new study out today concludes lawnmower injuries are on the rise. The figure for 2004 is 8,000 more than the average for the previous eight years.

Most of the injuries are to children under age 15 and adults 60 and over. The most common injuries were caused by strikes from debris, such as rocks and branches.

"These are machines with sharp blades spinning at 160 mph just inches away from our feet and hands," said study leader David Bishai of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. "Everyone needs to respect the dangers and use common sense."

Ah ha ha ha ha hah! I love it when people say we should use common sense. As if common sense were actually common.

Here at the Scalzi Compound, we have a lot of lawn, so we have a lot of mowing implements, specifically a lawn tractor with 48-inch blades and a side attachment with another 60-inches of blades, which allows us to make nine-foot swaths of whirling grass blade decapitation in one run. And do we treat these whizzing blades of death with respect? Indeed we do. And of course I don't allow Athena to get within 100 feet of lawn tractor without disengaging the blades and turning off the motor. Because I'm paranoid, you see, and I'd like for my daughter to keep all her limbs if at all possible.

Ever have an incident with a mower, either of the lawn tractor or push-around sort? Do tell.

Written by johnmscalzi Blog about this entry

This entry has 7 comments: (Add your own)

#7 Comment from csandhollow
4/20/06 4:51 AM | Permalink

I had a neighbor cut half his foot off. I was there and saw it and took care of him.
i took him and his foot to hospital. It was too mangled to replace.
#6 Comment from sonipitts
4/20/06 2:18 AM | Permalink

Hubs actually busted a rib once in what I imagine is a one-of-a-kind lawnmower accident. He was moving 2 lawnmovers from one job to another and was going up a hill pulling both behind him, one in each hand. Long story short, the road was uneven, he tripped and fell full-face and full-torque onto the curb. Crunch! Took him weeks before he could do anything more strident than spooning cereal.
#5 Comment from memes121
4/19/06 12:49 PM | Permalink

Not the stuff you are talking about, no. But! I have a 77 year old mother who mows the yard herself. Our riding mower sees her coming and it tries it's best to run away. Mom well...kind of runs into things. Bushes, trees, the house. I am thinking about getting a helmet. Not for mom, for the mower.
#4 Comment from gifdude
4/19/06 12:20 PM | Permalink

My father lost his right big toe after tripping over a stick or something. It wasn't fun for him, for sure.

I never had a problem..(Knock on wood!)
#3 Comment from coelha
4/19/06 11:26 AM | Permalink

Oh gosh... This stuff scares me! I know of one little girl who lost part of her leg after an accident on lawn tractor. NEVER let children ride with you on a lawn tractor!!! They can fall off easily!! Julie

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Watch Out for That Lawnmower